ETHS students head back to class on Monday, August 17, making Evanston Township High School the first public school in town to open for the 2026-27 academic year. District 65 students in grades K-8 follow one week later on Monday, August 24.

Both calendars were approved months ago by their respective boards of education.

The ETHS calendar was adopted April 13; the District 65 calendar was approved January 12.

ETHS District 202

Staff institute days run Thursday, August 13, and Friday, August 14, before students arrive Monday, August 17. ETHS operates on a quarter/semester system, with the first quarter ending Friday, October 9, and the first semester wrapping up Friday, December 18.

Seniors' last day is Tuesday, May 18, 2027, with commencement on Sunday, May 23, 2027. Students in grades 9-11 finish Friday, May 28, 2027.

Fall conferences are scheduled for Thursday, October 1. Spring conferences fall on February 18, 2027. Open House is Thursday, September 3.

District 65

Institute days for staff are Thursday, August 20, and Friday, August 21, with K-8 students starting Monday, August 24. District 65 runs on a trimester schedule, with the first trimester ending Friday, November 13.

Parent-teacher conferences are the week of Monday, October 5, in the fall and the week of February 8, 2027, in the spring.

Eighth graders wrap up on Friday, May 28, 2027. Students in grades K-7 have their last day on Friday, June 4, 2027.

Shared breaks

The breaks align. Families with children in both districts can plan around the same weeks off:

  • Fall break: Monday, November 23, through Friday, November 27
  • Winter break: Monday, December 21, through Friday, January 1, 2027
  • Spring break: Monday, March 22, through Friday, March 26, 2027

Both districts observe Labor Day (Monday, September 7), Yom Kippur (Monday, September 21), Indigenous Peoples Day (Monday, October 12), and MLK Day (Monday, January 18, 2027). ETHS lists Indigenous Peoples Day as a half day rather than a full non-attendance day.

Private schools

Several Evanston private schools open on similar timelines, according to calendars compiled by Evanston Patch:

  • Beacon Academy, 1574 Sherman Ave., starts Monday, August 17, and finishes final exams May 26, 2027.
  • St. Athanasius School, 2150 Ashland Ave., opens with a half day on Tuesday, August 18, and ends June 2, 2027.
  • The Academy at St. Joan of Arc, 9245 Lawndale Ave., starts Thursday, August 20, and finishes June 4, 2027. Its spring break runs one week later than the public schools.

Emergency days

ETHS has built emergency makeup days into early June 2027. District 65 reserves five emergency days in June 2027 and may also use Presidents' Day (Monday, February 15, 2027) as a makeup day if needed.

District 65's summer schedule confirms regular office hours resume Monday, August 3, for families needing to reach the district before the school year begins.